Tapas open to the public ??

by Praia 15.01.12 17:33

Do you know how when you are in the car with the radio on, you hear the ad.'s so often repeated you don't listen any more. Later in May 2004 we had the local English station on, Kiss FM. This was not a daily thing.

An ad. came on inviting people to dine at the Tapas Bar in the Ocean Club, Luz. I knew it was an ad. I had heard before the Tapas Bar became world famous. I had doubted the abduction theory from day one. As more details came out about the queue's to book the Tapas by guest's I waited to hear someone say that the Tapas was open to outside bookings. The ad said to call and make reservations. I was then away for a while so don't know if the ad ran again.

Can understand opening up in quiet times, April and May, excluding Easter and advertising for business - why then the fuss of MW and Thomas Cook clients being rationed visits ? Though with their food and certain drinks included in their half board there is not great profit for the Ocean Club.

Stella maybe the tall man who got the T9 a regular table was a regular of the Tapas from outside the Ocean Club. A local or regular visitor to the area who was well known to the staff as a good spender.

by Guest 16.01.12 12:03

That would make perfect sense Praia. A regular? A well known individual? Someone who has clout and lots of £££$$$.

Perhaps he is someone who brings lots of trade to that area?

by Daisy 16.01.12 12:38

Welcome praia, [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Interesting stuff.

I have a slight problem with the Tapa Bar being open in 2004 though? According to Pamela Fenn's niece - Carol tramner's statement, the Tapas bar was a new addition in 2006/7?

DC1485'Did you go to the Tapas Bar with your aunt'

CT'No, no, no
it was not there when I visited the last time, and it is something very
recent; I believe that it was built about a year ago and I was there
before the Tapas Bar was constructed. I think it was a part of the
reception or something similar. We were not there before. It is very
new.

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by Praia 16.01.12 15:05

Sorry all, meant May 2007 of course.
I usually tune out during ad's as you have heard them before. This time, after Madeleine when missing, the ad. jumped out - dine at Tapas Bar at the Ocean Club and definitely said call for reservations. Did not hear it again.
I was sure I had heard it before May 3.
People here find it hard to believe wine was inc. in package - this is not uncommon. They were paying alot for the week and the cost of some relatively cheap regional wine would be well covered. Perhaps it makes MW sound more up market??? When showing off at home? Free wine? Not mentioning you had paid out well over the odds for the package. It's clever marketing.
Stella, yes, you see my point. If the OC fills the Tapas with half board clients they make x. Invite the public in and it can be x plus plus plus. Luz has a limited number of eateries and a lot of well off residents and visitors.

by Guest 16.01.12 15:16

We can count out the tall, pushy, guy was a resident. From the tapas receptionists statement:

"The deponent made some comments about the request, saying that the Tapas received many requests and that MW only had a quota of 20 per day, but upon the insistence of the guest she managed to make the bookings requested".

So 'mr pushy' must have been another guest. Interesting !!

by jd 16.01.12 15:29

Praia wrote:Sorry all, meant May 2007 of course.
I usually tune out during ad's as you have heard them before. This time, after Madeleine when missing, the ad. jumped out - dine at Tapas Bar at the Ocean Club and definitely said call for reservations. Did not hear it again.
I was sure I had heard it before May 3.
People here find it hard to believe wine was inc. in package - this is not uncommon. They were paying alot for the week and the cost of some relatively cheap regional wine would be well covered. Perhaps it makes MW sound more up market??? When showing off at home? Free wine? Not mentioning you had paid out well over the odds for the package. It's clever marketing.
Stella, yes, you see my point. If the OC fills the Tapas with half board clients they make x. Invite the public in and it can be x plus plus plus. Luz has a limited number of eateries and a lot of well off residents and visitors.

I don't agree with you about the wine. Doesn't make any business sense whatsoever to be offering all your customers unlimited free wine. A bottle or 2 maybe, which would be better clever marketing as the chances of the customer wanting more is highly likely which then they would be paying for. Sorry but I don't buy they had unlimited free wine at all, not unless MW saw them as 'special' customers

by Praia 16.01.12 15:45

Jd I know the business inside out. Believe me. They were paying crazy prices for that time of year. Their food and drink was well covered. Do you know how cheap wine is here esp. wholesale. Maybe you are seeing if from an English price angle. They were not been given their beloved New Zealand CS! It's a hoteliers trick.

by Praia 16.01.12 15:47

Forgot to add it was not unlimited. I will find the relevant waiters quote later.

by Praia 16.01.12 15:49

Stella the Portuguese would call any client of the Tapas a guest. A regular resident could be a regular guest of the Tapas, if you see what I mean.

by Guest 16.01.12 15:53

Praia wrote:Stella the Portuguese would call any client of the Tapas a guest. A regular resident could be a regular guest of the Tapas, if you see what I mean.

Yes, I'm with you. Somebody who owns a property out there and stays there very often, would still be treated as a guest to them. Good thinking batman/batgirl.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Guest 16.01.12 15:56

Praia, I know this is off topic, so I do apologise to everyone (must also smack my own knuckles). Do you know why the church had it's stained glass window replaced? Had they been collecting money to do that before May 2007, do you know?

by Guest 16.01.12 16:09

Stella wrote:
Praia wrote:Stella the Portuguese would call any client of the Tapas a guest. A regular resident could be a regular guest of the Tapas, if you see what I mean.

Yes, I'm with you. Somebody who owns a property out there and stays there very often, would still be treated as a guest to them. Good thinking batman/batgirl.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Is it known how old this tal thin man was? I know of one friend who had money and property in PDL.. A certain mr geraghty..

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by Praia 16.01.12 16:14

Not sure, my regular church is in Lagos, same priest. Never saw stained glass appeal in local press though. I know some people who will know though.

by Daisy 16.01.12 16:15

Thanks for clarfying the year Praia.

I see what you mean about it making finiancial sense to open up to the Tapas restaurant to the public. This witness statement from a Barman at the Tapas confirms that it was indeed open to the public at that time. Although he then goes on to say there were no people from outside the complex served over the last two weeks. How can he be so sure?

Joao Pedro Ramos Agapito
Barman
Time/Date: 16H45 2007/05/06
Portuguese

Stated that the restaurant is by reservation only and for this reason,
it is not normal to see other people during the day but at night, the
restaurant is open to the public. He further knows that in the last two
weeks they did not serve dinners or attend bar clients who were not
staying in the complex;

Hi JD, I don't have a problem with free plonk being included, like Praia stated it's extremely cheap out there. The place I go abroad, the wine is less than half the price of soft drinks. Let's say this wine was a couple of euros a bottle? 14 bottles = 28 euros, not a lot between nine adults is it? Not if they paid over the odds for the holiday to start with.

Witness statement of Tiago Rochas Barreiros 2007.05.08

Tapas bar Supervisor:

The nine individuals, including the family of the missing child, were
included in the half pension regime. They had the right to dinner (a
menu that included starter, main course, desert and drinks as listed).
All aperitifs, and after dinner drinks were paid separately using the
credit card.

by Guest 16.01.12 16:15

The receptionist never made reference to the age of this man in her statement, only that he was often in the company of Gerry. I never realised he is tall and thin also. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] The only one I could think of who is and sounds pushy is Smethurst, who we know also goes out there quite a bit. But Geraghty !!

by Praia 16.01.12 16:23

Thanks Daisy, that was it. It is not unusual at all.
I am sure all guests had some sort of card to id them and run up extras on bills. But to be so confident that they served no outsiders is strange. People live in some OC apts all year round, easily call in for a coke or beer during the day. They did take away too. Lots of ways.

by Daisy 16.01.12 16:27

The receptionist also stated:

"When questioned, she confirms that the man was not the father of the
girl but one of the members of the group whom was often seen in his
company."

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by jd 16.01.12 16:29

All aperitifs, and after dinner drinks were paid separately using the credit card

neither mccann has a credit card

Does anyone know what half board entails? breakfast/dinner, lunch/dinner....or just dinner?

by Guest 16.01.12 16:31

Daisy wrote:The receptionist also stated:

"When questioned, she confirms that the man was not the father of the
girl but one of the members of the group whom was often seen in his
company."

[url=http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic9-50.html

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That's right, but as we suspect, the group could have been much bigger than just the 9 we have been allowed to know about.

Moita Flores talks of 10 or 12, who used to enter that apartment. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Guest 16.01.12 16:40

Stella wrote:The receptionist never made reference to the age of this man in her statement, only that he was often in the company of Gerry. I never realised he is tall and thin also. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] The only one I could think of who is and sounds pushy is Smethurst, who we know also goes out there quite a bit. But Geraghty !!

Here we go... suppose it depends on your definition of thin.....
She remembers that on Sunday 29th April one of the elements of the group arrived with the child Madeleine McCann, she does not know his name and can only say that he was male and tall and thin and that he approached her to request a booking for the whole group, for the whole week and always at 20.30.

When questioned, she confirms that the man was not the father of the girl but one of the members of the group whom was often seen in his company.

The man justified his request by saying that the group had many small children whom they would leave alone when they went to dine. She said that at intervals some two parents would go to the apartments to see if everything was OK.

The deponent made some comments about the request, saying that the Tapas received many requests and that MW only had a quota of 20 per day, but upon the insistence of the guest she managed to make the bookings requested.

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by Praia 16.01.12 16:47

They say they did nt have credit cards, don't believe it for a minute. This is were the lack of info from the English side stinks to high heaven. Your child goes missing and you refuse the PJ personal info. health, financial etc
What is behind hidden here?